Margot’s top of the pops in Sweden

From European Voice's Entre-Nous column

1/14/04, 5:00 PM CET

Updated 4/23/14, 8:27 PM CET

News has emerged that most of the Social Democrats’ party districts in Sweden want Margot Wallström, the environment commissioner, to succeed Prime Minister Göran Persson – despite the latter failing to name her as a potential candidate in a recent interview.

The pair have reportedly been at odds since Wallström landed the blame for Sweden’s second rejection of the euro last September squarely at the feet of her political master.

Persson, naturally, was less than impressed and rumour has it that the blonde one will fail to get the premier’s mandate for a second Commission term.

However, Wallström has emerged as the popular choice for next prime minister in 20 out of the 26 party districts, according to Sweden’s EKOT radio station.

But will this make any difference? Persson is on record as saying that he would remain as premier until 2006, and then face the electorate once again – although, in a contradiction not unusual in the world of politics, he had also previously stated that he would retire at his current age (he will be 55 on 20 January).

Next year’s party congress will doubtless hold the answers – but Wallström will have a pretty good idea of her future, at least as far as the European Commission is concerned, well before then.

Any bets that Persson may prefer to keep Wallström busy in Brussels after all..?

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